Barkley, the “long shot” of golf: Betting odds make him the least favorite

Charles Barkley, the “Long Shot” at the American Century Championship

Charles Barkley, after his best performance in a celebrity golf tournament, faces a tough test at this week’s American Century Championship in South Lake Tahoe, Nevada. Despite his recent performance, the odds do not favor him. Bets at Caesars Sportsbook place Barkley at a 7,500-1 probability. Despite these high odds, some bettors have decided to invest in the NBA Hall of Famer, known for his peculiar playing style. In last year’s tournament, Barkley achieved his best historical position, finishing in 58th place. The sportsbook has set an “over/under” on Barkley’s final position at 65.5 for this week.

We’ve seen some tickets betting on Barkley to win, but we might see those tickets on eBay soon.

Anthony Salleroli, golf betting chief for Caesars Sportsbook

Mardy Fish, tennis player, was the winner of the tournament last year. However, Joe Pavelski, former hockey player, is the favorite to win this week’s tournament, closely followed by the three previous champions of the annual event. Pavelski has a +220 chance of winning, followed by Fish (+240), Tony Romo (+350), and Stephen Curry (+425). Salleroli commented that the betting action on the event winner is relatively evenly split between Pavelski, Fish, Curry, and Romo. Curry won the tournament in 2023, and Romo in 2022. Other notable players in the field of 90 golfers include Aaron Rodgers (45-1), actor Alfonso Ribeiro (175-1), Travis Kelce (275-1), Jason Kelce (350-1), and comedian Larry the Cable Guy (2,000-1).